EMERSON — A former councilman charged with election fraud was accepted to a probationary program on Wednesday, meaning that the charges could ultimately be dismissed, The Record reported.

Ronald Griffin, 69, agreed to step down from the Emerson Borough Council and give up public service for life in order to enter a one-year Pretrial Intervention program, a sentencing option offered to nonviolent, first-time offenders. If he completes the program, the election fraud charges could be dismissed.

Griffin and former Borough attorney Scott Mooney were accused in December of altering primary nominating petitions for Republican candidates. They allegedly altered the primary petition for Republican council candidate Elizabeth Garis by adding the 25 signatures from Emerson residents Garis obtained to the candidacy of Keith Smith.

At the time, Griffin faced charges of falsifying or tampering with records, fraudulently defacing a primary petition for nominating candidates and conspiracy to deface a primary petition. Last month, Mooney entered a two-year diversionary program.